American track and field icon Sam Kendricks will get a shot at redemption when he flies to Paris later this month. At 31, the pole vault specialist only seems to be getting better with age, after he won the Olympic Trials with a 19 feet 3.5 inch (5.90m) vault. However, he may not achieved this feat unless he continues to hone his skills with the added wisdom of father Scott Kendricks.

Growing up in Oxford, Mississippi, Sam Kendricks learned to love track and field and especially pole vault from a young age. Thanks to his father’s passion for the sport and his mother’s unwavering support and encouragement, the 31-year-old developed a competitive spirit since childhood. The fact that his siblings also participated in track and field only emboldened his spirit. However, the true architect who shaped the 2x world champion’s talent was his father.

The parents behind Sam Kendricks’ success

Sam Kendricks’ father Scott Kendricks fell in love with track and field and pole vaulting when he was a kid. The former Marine pilot and horseman vaulted when he was in high school. Unfortunately, the ambitious athlete couldn’t achieve his pole vaulting dreams thanks to limited equipment and no coaching. So, Scott Kendricks became the coach his children needed.

After serving his nation, Scott Kendricks joined Oxford High School, where his children studied, as a track and field coach. There he coached his sons Tom and Sam Kendricks. However, it was Sam, who stuck with pole vaulting and, by 2011, had set a new state record. The Olympic bronze medalist’s father studies 1980s Polish pole vault icon Wladyslaw Kozakiewicz.

The track and field coach based Sam Kendricks’ training on the techniques and training philosophy that the 1980 Moscow Olympics gold medalist followed. Sam Kendricks mastered Kozakiewicz’s technique of pushing off the hand grip, and by 2017 had become the pole vault World Champion. Throughout the year, Marni Kendricks acted and held things together at home as her son chased glory in track and field.

However, you’d be mistaken to think that Sam Kendricks’ mother is simply a homemaker. As of 2019, she worked as Associate Dean of Engineering at the University of Mississippi. However, she credits her husband as the man who turned her son into a champion. However, Scott and Marni Kendricks didn’t just help the 31-year-old become an elite track and field athlete. They are helping shape their youngest son John Scott Kendricks’ career too.

Still training with their father

While Sam Kendricks’ siblings Tom and Charli stopped competing, their youngest sibling, John Scott Kendricks, fell in love with pole vaulting. The high school senior has already broken Sam Kendricks’ state record, which stood for 12 years. In 2022, John Scott Kendricks also became the 11th-ranked pole vaulter among high schoolers. However, the younger can thank both his father and elder brother for his success.

Scott Kendricks honed the talents of his youngest child, just like he did with his Olympian son. The lifelong horse riding enthusiast still trains John Scott Kendricks and his 2x world champion brother with tried and tested methods he developed as a coach. In fact, the brothers regularly train together, with their father keeping a close on technique.

At 31, the Paris Olympics may be the last time we’ll see Sam Kendricks represent the stars and stripes on the grandest stage. However, a new member from the family of passionate and elite athletes may represent his nation in the near future.